Heart Failure Costs Expected To More Than Double by 2030

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- You may want to start setting aside $244 a year. Why? According to an American Heart Association policy statement, that's the amount that every U.S. taxpayer could be paying for heart failure expenses by 2030.

Why? The baby boomer generation is starting to age, which will cause a greater number of heart conditions.

According to the statement, there were 5 million cases of heart failure in 2012. In less than 20 years, researchers expect that number to jump to 8 million.

"If we don't improve or reduce the incidence of heart failure by preventing and treating the underlying conditions, there will be a large monetary and health burden on the country," said Paul A. Heidenreich, M.D., M.S., professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and director of the Chronic Heart Failure Quality Enhancement Research Initiative at the VA Health Care System in Palo Alto, Calif.

And you don't need to have heart failure to feel the economic effects.

"The costs will be paid for by every adult in this country, not just every adult with heart failure," said Heidenreich.

This is a considerable incentive for people across the country to follow recommendations that help manage the increasing rate of heart conditions.

The recommendations include: using more therapy, specialized training for healthcare professionals, reducing differences in prevention and care between racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups and increasing access to hospice care.

Heart failure occurs when the heart can't pump enough blood for your body. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling in the ankles, feet, legs and abdomen. Treatment often includes a healthier diet, medicine, and sometimes, surgery.